Paul, Divestment, and Salvific Almsgiving

Through a sustained look at key wealth texts in the Pauline letters, Hunter Brown rediscovers an Apostle who urged Christ-followers to divest themselves of nearly all their surplus wealth for the poor, and who held that almsgiving can play an instrumental role in a disciple’s attainment of eternal life.

Hunter Brown answers two questions about Paul’s economic theology: (i) To what extent did Paul believe Christ-followers should divest their possessions on behalf of the poor? (ii) What role, if any, did Paul believe almsgiving could play in the attainment of salvation? Methodologically and structurally, the heart of the work is a close exegetical reading of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Galatians 6:6-10, Philippians 4:10-20, and 1 Timothy 6:6-19, which he reads with sensitivity to Jewish and early Christian traditions of thought about righteous economic action and its efficacy. On the basis of this reading, Brown argues that: (i) In accord with the pattern of Jesus who became poor for others when he was rich, Paul believes that Christ-followers should divest themselves of (essentially) all their surplus possessions in order to meet the needs of the poor. (ii) Paul believes that almsgiving can play an instrumental role in a Christ-follower’s attainment of salvation after their initial faith in Christ. These findings sharpen our understanding of Paul’s ethics and soteriology. The concluding chapter of the monograph reflects on the implications of the work for comparative assessments of the wealth ethics of Paul and Jesus; conceptions of the pattern of Pauline soteriology; and the task of contemporary Christian wealth ethics.

1. Introduction
1.1. Why Pursue these Questions
1.2 Status Quaestionum
1.3. Method
2. Loving the Hungry: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
2.1. Overindulgence and the Neglect of the Poor (11:17-22)
2.2. The Death of the Lord (11:23-26)
2.3. Present and Eschatological Judgment (11:27-32)
2.4. Receiving One Another (11:33-34)
Excursus: 1 Corinthians 13:3
3. Graciously Becoming Poor, like Jesus: 2 Corinthians 8-9
3.1. Grace, Means, and Economic Action (8:1-7)
3.2. The Divestment of Jesus (8:8-15)
3.3. Sowing, Reaping, and Sacrificing (9:6-15)
4. Reaping Eternal Life and Giving to All: Galatians 6:6-10
4.1. Sowing into the Spirit and Reaping Eternal Life (6:6-8)
4.2. Doing Good and Giving to All (6:9-10)
5. Rejoicing in Fruit and Sacrifices: Philippians 4:10-20
5.1. Opportunity and Empowerment for Giving (4:10-14)
5.2. Increasing Accounts and Sacrifices to God (4:15-20)
6. Living Minimally and Acquiring Life: 1 Timothy 6:6-19
6.1. The Necessities of Life and the Loss of Riches (6:6-10)
6.2. Store up a Good Foundation and Take Hold of Eternal Life (6:17-19)
7. Synthesis and Reflection
7.1. Synthesis
7.2. Reflection

• By (author) Hunter Brown